Method for the pre-baking treatment of chunk of frozen bread dough

Abstract

A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough includes placing the chunk of frozen bread dough in a container and keeping an inner temperature of the container in a range of 17° C. to 40° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 50% to 75% to thaw and proof the chunk of frozen bread dough continuously. The inner temperature of the container is lowered to a range of -20° C. to 15° C. at a lowering rate of at least 0.2° C./min after proofing the bread dough. A temperature difference between a dew point of air inside the container and a surface temperature of the bread dough is controlled to be within 20° C. during the lowering step. The bread dough is taken out from the container, shaped, and finally proofed in a proofer.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough, comprising: 
       placing the chunk of frozen bread dough in a container;  
       keeping an inner temperature of the container in a range of 17° C. to 40° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 50% to 75% to thaw and proof the chunk of frozen bread dough continuously;  
       lowering the inner temperature of the container to a range of −20° C. to 15° C. at a lowering rate of 0.2° C./min to 0.7° C./min after proofing the bread dough;  
       controlling a temperature difference between a dew point of air inside the container and a surface temperature of the bread dough to be within 20° C. during the lowering step;  
       taking out the bread dough from the container after the lowering step;  
       shaping the bread dough taken out from the container; and  
       finally proofing the bread dough in a proofer after the shaping step.  
     
     
       2. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough, comprising: 
       placing the chunk of frozen bread dough in a container;  
       raising an inner temperature of the container to a range of 17° C. to 40° C. at a raising rate of 0.1° C./min to 2° C./min to thaw and proof the chunk of frozen bread dough continuously;  
       lowering the inner temperature of the container to a range of −20° C. to 15° C. at a lowering rate of 0.2° C./min to 0.7° C./min after proofing the bread dough;  
       controlling a temperature difference between a dew point of air inside the container and a surface temperature of the bread dough to be within 20° C. during the raising and lowering steps;  
       taking out the bread dough from the container after the lowering step;  
       shaping the bread dough taken out from the container; and  
       finally proofing the bread dough in a proofer after the shaping step.  
     
     
       3. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 2 , wherein the inner temperature of the container is raised to a range of 20° C. to 40° C. at a raising rate of 0.3° C./min to 1° C./min during the raising step. 
     
     
       4. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 1 , wherein the lowering rate is at least 0.4° C./min. 
     
     
       5. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 2 , wherein the lowering rate is at least 0.4° C./min. 
     
     
       6. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 3 , wherein the lowering rate is at least 0.4° C./min. 
     
     
       7. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% between the shaping and final proofing steps;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then finally proofing the bread dough.  
     
     
       8. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −50° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% between the shaping and final proofing steps;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then finally proofing the bread dough.  
     
     
       9. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% between the shaping and final proofing steps;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then finally proofing the bread dough.  
     
     
       10. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% between the shaping and final proofing steps;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then finally proofing the bread dough.  
     
     
       11. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 5 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% between the shaping and final proofing steps;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then finally proofing the bread dough.  
     
     
       12. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% between the shaping and final proofing steps;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then finally proofing the bread dough.  
     
     
       13. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% after the final proofing step;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then baking the bread dough.  
     
     
       14. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% after the final proofing step;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then baking the bread dough.  
     
     
       15. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 3 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% after the final proofing step;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then baking the bread dough.  
     
     
       16. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% after the final proofing step;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then baking the bread dough.  
     
     
       17. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 5 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% after the final proofing step;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then baking the bread dough.  
     
     
       18. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% after the final proofing step;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then baking the bread dough.  
     
     
       19. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 7 , further comprising: 
       keeping an inner temperature of a container in a range of −5° C. to 20° C. and relative humidity in the container in a range of 80% to 100% after the final proofing step;  
       placing the bread dough in the container for a certain period; and  
       then baking the bread dough.  
     
     
       20. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner temperature of the container is kept in a range of 22° C. to 35° C. 
     
     
       21. A method for pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough according to  claim 2 , wherein the inner temperature of the container is kept in a range of 22° C. to 35° C.